


Tempest

by mundean



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-14 20:14:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14776512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mundean/pseuds/mundean
Summary: Rose teaches Pearl about nature.





	Tempest

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I wrote a while back, but recent developments in the show brought back those Pearlrose feels, so I figured now's as good a time as any to post this here.

It wasn’t often that Pearl made time for herself. To be sure, it was a more common occurrence now that the war had come to a more official close, but she still had duties to fulfill, victims of the Diamonds’ song to contain, and battles to be fought - she couldn’t concern herself such trivialities as relaxing or sleeping. These were not acts becoming of a soldier of Rose Quartz. The Crystal Gems were a more dignified, disciplined army. Their leader, however, seemed to think otherwise.

Rose had always insisted on Pearl not taking everything too seriously. The way Pearl thrust herself into danger with such guile and valor… it was, on one hand, an undeniably admirable characteristic in a soldier - to be so fearless, so gallant, so selfless… but it was that very same selflessness that fed the matriarch’s growing concern. If Pearl continued to sacrifice herself relentlessly for her cause, it would eventually have irreparable repercussions for the poor gem.

That was part of why Rose had suggested they visit this hilltop, its previously modest presentation graced with the presence of a lone cherry blossom, planted years ago by the very same Quartz who stood there now. The plant had had modest beginnings at first, and despite Rose’s desperate efforts to show Pearl its beauty, the gem had remained completely oblivious to its supposed beauty. Certainly, the tree was growing at a regular, healthy pace, and it was not defective by any standards of other autotrophic life found on this planet, but surely that wasn’t anything to fawn over! It just never made sense to her - but then again, that always had been the difference between the two of them. Rose saw beauty in everything, no matter how seemingly mundane or minute.

Now, though, Pearl believed to be changed. At first, when Rose brought her up here, she failed to see anything except for a plain tree. Still, she entertained Rose’s wishes, if for no other reason than to make her happy. But now, she finally believed she could see in this simple plant, what Rose saw in everything. Its pale pink petals fluttered by in the wind, drifting aimlessly and floating away towards their wistful destiny, flocks of butterflies in the gentle warm breeze, fleeing gleefully from the creeping frost. The way its gnarled branches swayed in this very same gale whispered the sweet song of springtime, lurching and leaning lazily at its own peaceful pace, trapped almost timelessly in its own tranquil seclusion. Something about Rose, her aura, seemed to emanate beauty and warmth, and everything around her became enchanted, almost possessed, and without fail followed suit. It was something about this quality in Rose that brought out the best in everything and everyone, from the most obsolete and quotidian scenes to even the defect gems, like her…

They stood atop the solitary precipice, overlooking the scene below them. Today, by some miracle, the ordinarily turbulent seas below had managed to quell themselves. It was as if Rose's mere presence orchestrated the harsh, raw elements of into a sort of harmony. Svelte shadows danced across the golden trove of sand below, and against the very same shore, the rhythmic splashes of the tide formed a calming chorus for the universe’s song. Shoals of what Rose dubbed “winged fish” skipped across the surface of the water gracefully before abruptly ending their brief flight by diving back into the depths. The sun that normally shone from the heavens was making its final descent into the ocean, casting a glorious watercolor of reddish orange and gold, melding harmoniously with the deep violet hues of the heavens. Against the breathtaking backdrop flew a small colony of gulls, soaring silently, almost dutifully, through the air.

The avian creatures of Earth had always been a subject of interest for Pearl, despite her general distaste for the more primitive wildlife on the planet. To be sure, flight was not a foreign concept to the gem. She had traveled in - and even _flown,_ on one rather precarious occasion - many a Homeworld intergalactic transport vehicle before. Despite this, however, the animals fascinated her. They were able to fly of their own volition - leap up into the air and soar away, off to go wherever they pleased. The inspiring spontaneity, the freedom that these little creatures possessed, it was exactly the type of graceful beauty that Rose spoke of all the time throughout Earth, and for her.

Though Pearl tended to get caught up in her thoughts quite often. She imagined all of the different tactics to employ, the possible permutations and outcomes of a combat scenario. She thought of new ways to use her spear or powers. No matter what, it was all in service of her greater goal. She rarely became so rapt with nature’s… beauty, as Rose did. It was a rare moment when Pearl took the time to simply enjoy the moment, there and then. This moment, however, was short-lived. The soft sound of a voice jerked Pearl suddenly from her stunned reverie. Rose’s voice.

That voice. The soft-spoken, smooth voice that emanated her love and compassion as if she were holding the listener in her very arms, no matter if they were her closest ally or most bitter enemy.

The voice that, without fail, made Pearl experience the most foreign and forbidden of emotions to a soldier, let alone a mere pearl. The butterflies in her stomach came to life, flitting about and causing within her an intense uneasiness, longing, and passion; the same emotion that Pearl had felt the first time she saw Rose in person, the same emotion Pearl felt the first time Rose spoke to her, and the same emotion Pearl felt every single time she saw Rose after that.

Love.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Simple enough a question, though Pearl didn’t answer immediately. Completely thoughtless, she blinked. Of course Rose was beautiful. Rose was the most beautiful gem that she had ever seen… Pearl could already feel the cerulean shade growing on her cheeks, and prayed silently to herself that Rose wouldn’t notice. Why did she want to hear that, though? Surely, Rose knew how Pearl felt about her, how she - unless… oh.

“The sunset.” Too late, the clarification came, just as the realization dawned on Pearl, only worsening that increasingly visible blue hue. She was talking about the view, of course! Her brain struggled for a few abiding seconds, fumbling over how to respond, what words to use - why couldn’t she just talk with Rose, like she did with every gem? Why did things have to be so different with her?

Inwardly cursing herself for her infallible awkwardness, she steeled her nerves before urging out a response. Turning to meet Rose’s gaze finally, embarrassment ever-apparent in the form of her blush. ‘Just be honest’, she thought. Offering a small smile, she nodded to the much taller gem and finally spoke.

“Stunning.”

Satisfied with the response, Rose nodded in return and turned back to face the setting sun with a wide grin. The Quartz chuckled to herself before letting the silence retake the air. Gazing wistfully out at the sunset before her, Rose let herself become absorbed in the beauty of it all once again. Pearl stared for a moment with bated breath. She loved how Rose looked when she was like this - caught up in the moment, taking in all of the small wonders that nature had to offer that only she could see. The look in her eyes, it was simply beautiful.

Once again, Rose broke the silence, not turning to look at Pearl this time. “This… makes it worth it. All of it… The rebellion, the fighting…” Rose paused, drawing a shaky breath, as if she were forcing herself to talk. When she finally spoke again, after a small eternity, her voice cracked with sudden emotion. The look of nostalgic awe on her face had been replaced with one of manifest sorrow, forlorn mourning…

“… the loss.”

Pearl understood. Though the brunt of the conflict had concluded countless centuries ago, the pain remained, forever branded into the survivors’ minds, a freshly opened wound, still bleeding, searing, an indelible and haunting curse. Every corrupted or mutated gem they encountered was a stinging reminder of what had happened. Every relic, a sore memory of its history. Every field, a battleground. Pearl saw the scars it left on the Earth, on her friends, every single day, always there, waiting, staying…

Never one to invalidate her companions’ emotions, any gloom or despair Rose felt was repressed, compartmentalized, hidden away and wished to disappear, no matter how intense or warranted they were. It wasn’t becoming of a leader to show weakness. But Pearl, she could see. She saw the way Rose changed, when things were different. She saw the way her eyes sank, her ordinarily jubilant and merry demeanor faded slightly, giving way to one of silent heartache. It was as if she could see the very souls of her fallen brethren, comrades and enemies alike, directionless and drifting, without purpose or home. For all she knew, she could - Rose always kept secrets, even from Pearl…

Pearl’s thoughts were interrupted promptly, as Rose turned to face the smaller gem, offering a tender smile and her hand. Clasping Pearl’s hands in her own and giving a gentle squeeze. Stupefied by Rose’s spontaneous actions, Pearl could do nothing but stand there speechlessly and comply - while that damned blue blush returned with a vengeance. Warm, thick fingers intertwined with slender, dainty ones, and suddenly, there was nothing - cliff, no tree, no ocean, no sunset - the entire world melted away, except for those warm fingers that held hers so tightly, and the gem they belonged to. The rest of the world was gone, and it was just a Quartz and her Pearl.

Pearl might have been flustered, nervous, even scared of the sudden intimacy, but something about Rose, the way she held here, ever-confident and compassionate, warm and welcoming, it stilled her racing heart. With Rose, Pearl found peace, harmony. For a seeming eternity, Pearl stood there with Rose, revelling in the hallow beauty of the moment. Nothing could come between them, for now - it was just the two of them…

Without a word, Rose took her hands and began to sway, stepping slowly, and Pearl followed swiftly in turn with her movements. Whenever the two of them danced, it was always fluid, wordlessly syncing their movements as if they were one. Reminded of the first time they had fused, Pearl’s blush worsened, though she quickly regained focus, redoubling her efforts to keep up with Rose. Swaying in time with the silent song of nature, their movements were fluid and free, elegant and graceful. After a short spin, Pearl let herself fall, and without missing a beat, Rose caught her, ending the dance in a dip. Rose giggled, eyes locked with Pearl’s. Despite herself, Pearl joined her in laughter, just revelling in the moment.

“This… is what I was fighting for.”

“Was it worth it?”

Silence. Nothing. It was almost as if Rose hadn’t heard her speak at all - Had she not articulated loudly enough? Had she even said anything at all? Certainly not. Pearl did tend to get caught up in her own musings when in Rose’s presence, but she was sure that she had asked her question. She wasn’t that air-headed, was she? So why, then, had Rose been sitting there for an entire agonizing ten seconds, unresponsive? Was she being ignored? Was it a stupid question? Argh, stupid, stupid Pearl. You clearly struck a nerve and now she’s upset with you and you ruined the moment and nothing will ever be the same between the two of you again and–

Stop. You’re spiraling, Pearl. Just ask it again. She just didn’t hear you, that’s all that this is.

Clearing her throat, and making sure to articulate more clearly this time, Pearl looked up from the ground, eyes closed, and spoke.

“Rose, was it… worth it? The fighting, I mean…”

When Pearl opened her eyes, Rose’s characteristic reverential expression was once again nowhere to be found, replaced with a lachrymose look - a far cry from anything she’d seen on Rose’s face ever before. Shocked out of her wits, Pearl let out a strangled yelp, stumbled backwards and, losing the support of her own two legs, fell onto the ground. What she found was no longer the soft bed of grass that she had laid on before; instead it was hard, cold, and wet. In the distance, the muffled rumbles echoed across the sky, among the clouds which had now blackened considerably, and loomed ominously above the scene atop the cliff.

This wasn’t happening, Despite the doubt now clouding her mind, Pearl had to try. This was not happening. She gathered every ounce of her will and forced out one word, a simple question, in a hoarse whisper.

“…Rose?”

The question begged for an answer that would never come, lingering in the air for a short moment only to be swept away indiscriminately by the howling wind, which had, just moments ago, been but a gentle breeze, warm and soft in the pleasant afternoon. Rays of sunshine beaming from the heavens were nowhere to be found, instead replaced with the constant drizzle of rain and sleet, harsh and cold. Another roar in the distance, louder than the last. The tempest was brewing, swelling and raging, becoming harder and harder to ignore, threatening catastrophe.

Still, Pearl held strong. The monster inside of her was growing, wrestling her for control, tempting her to let go and accept the fact: Rose was gone. And yet still, she fought. She fought the atrocity that was slowly seeding itself throughout every fibre of her being. She fought with all of the strength that she had left. She had to - for Rose.

“Please, Rose…”

Her voice faltered, shrinking once again back down to the quavering whisper. The rumble of the storm was no longer quieted at length - instead it was a roar, the crashing and booming of rolling thunder permeating her universe, complemented by sudden, ephemeral flashes that illuminated the entire horizon. The downpour, too, had redoubled its efforts, coming down in sheets and buckets, drowning the world with its torrential might. There Pearl sat, amidst the gale and chaos, motionless.

She could no longer pretend, at her wit’s end. Her body could no longer move, even if she had cared to will it. She was shackled in her place, fettered by chains which had wrought themselves of the strongest metals. She was trapped. She had been beaten and punished into submission, laying there in vain defiance of the tempest.

“Don’t… be…”

Finally, the realization dawned on her. The monster had grown too colossal, too powerful, and Pearl gave in. A wave of acceptance. Resignation. Defeat.

Rose was…

“Gone.”


End file.
